Roller bearing cage and method of forming the same



Jan. 17, 1933. E. w. MITCHEL 1,394,595

ROLLER BEARING CAGE AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME Filed Aug. 5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 .v BY r :l TTORNE Y.

Jan. 17, 1933.

El. W. MITCHEL ROLLER BEARING GAGE AND METHOD oF FORMING THE SAME Filed Aug. l5, 1929 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 I N VEN TOR a/mep /f/ /V/rcwa Patented Jan. 17, 1933 UNITED .STATES PATENT OFFICE EDWARD W.' MITCHEL, 0F DETROIT, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR T0 F. L. MCLAUGHLIN CORPORATION, OF DETROIT, MICHIGAN, 'A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN ROLLER BEARING CAGE AND METHOD OF FORMING THE SAME Application led .August 5, Serial Ne..383 ,743.

This invention relates to a roller bearing cage and method of forming the same, and has to do particularly with an inexpensive, easily assembled container unit for receiving and positioning cylindrical roller bearings.

Many dilferent types of cages for roller .bearings have been designed, and in the case of cylindrical roller bearings, it has been the practice to formspaced annular retaining means connected together by transverse connecting rods or pins, and means vin the rctaining means for receiving and positioning the cylindrical roller bearings spaced between said connecting pins. f l

It is the object of the present invention to provide a cage or container for roller bearings, particularlyv cylindrical roller bearings,

which is formed solely from two integral annular ring members, thus completely eliminating all connecting and spacing means. More specifically, I have provided a. permanent integral bearing container formed from two metal stampings permanently secured together in such a manner as to provide retaining pockets for the cylindrical roller bearings.

One of the mainfeaturesof the present invention resides in the method of fabricating my novel container member, wherein each retainedl member going to make up the main container is stamped from flat stock and the two retainers are then complementallly formed and secured together whereby to receive and permanently position the roller bearings. Still another feature resides vin the novel manner of securing the retaining and positioning elements together .whereby to form a solid integral cage.

Other features of the invention reside in the novel design of 'the cage itself, the manner of assembly, and the structure of thatpirt of the cage which directly receives the aring member. In the drawings: Fig. 1 is a sectional view taken throughla bearing provided with the preferred form of my novel cage structure.

Fig. 2 is a longitudinal sectional view tak-A en on line 2.-2 of Fi 1.

Fig. 3 is a front view of a complete cage member with the roller bearings positioned therein, 'and showing one manner of securing the retaining ringsy together.

Fig. 4 is` a plan view of the stamped out blank made from a piece of fiat stock and illustrating the first step ofmy invention.

Fig. 5 is a front elevation of the structure shown in Fig. 4, and showing the preferred manner of striking up the elements for directly receiving the bearing members.

Fig. 6 illustrates one method of assembling the cage member, wherein the roller bearings are positioned within the pocket formed in the outer container member. A

Fig. 7 is a view illustrating one method of assembling the inner retainer member within the outer .retainer member whereby to positively secure the roller bearings in place.

Fig. 8 is an end view partially in sectionV of a yslightlymodited form of cage structure for receiving and positioning larger lroller bearings in closer spaced proximity.

Fig. 13 is a similar view of the outer retainer' member.

While the presentcontainer or cage member is particularly' adaptable for ,use with cylindrical roller bearings, andis so illustrated in the drawings, it will be understood that the same method may be used in connection with the fabrication-of cages for use with bearings of different types, particularly on tapered roller bearings. In the forming of roller bearings of the smaller type wherein the rollers are spaced a considerable distance apart, as best shown in Fig. 1, I preferably fabricate the outerring or retainer of the cage from a' sheet of suitable flat stock 1, as best shown in` Fig. 4. This strip-of fiat stock is preferably stamped in a single operation so as to form a plurality of spaced slots or openingsy 2. The first step in the operation is to stamp out or form a series o openings 2 with the arcuate shaped projections or side walls 3, the forming of these projections being possible in the initial stamping out The lirst step just described is applicable to boththe outer ring or retainer which may be designated 4 and the inner ring or retainer 5, the only difference being that in assembly the arcuate shaped projections will extend on oppositesides of the ring of the assembled cage. For the purpose'of clarity, the projections on the outer retainer will bc designated 3, while those on the inner retainer will be designated 6.

In my preferred method of assembly of this small type cage or container, the arcuate shape iven the projections 3 and 6 is such that w en the inner ring member 6 is given an annular shape, as shown in Fig. 1, the radius of such projection 6 is substantially equal to the radius of the cylindrical roller members 7. The radius of the projections 3 of the outer ring member may be initially substantially the same as the projections 6, but when such outer ring member 4 is given an annular shape, as shown in Fig. 1, it will be obvious that said projections 6 will s read apart and it is my intention, in the pre erred forni of assembly, that theseouter projections shall be spread apart enough as to just receive a roller member 7. y

In this method of assembly it will be obvious that the ring members 4 and 5 may be rolled up into annular shape and directly slipped together before receivingr a single roller. Furthermore, these retaining ring members 4 and 5 may be also s ot welded as at 8 and 9 and in addition may preferably spot welded-as at 10 in between each roller receiving ket. This spot weldingr may be perform either before or after the roller assembly.

In assembling the rollers by this first method the roller members may be successively dropped into each pocket and the projections 3 subjected to a Vsuitable stamping operation whereby to close in said projections around each roller bearing. This may be accomlished either manually or automatically.

t will be obvious. of course, that it is possible to obtain a very eilicient ermanent ca member by merely spot wel ingat the en s 11 of the outer ring4 and at the points 8 and 9, but I prefer to 'secure the two shells together by s t welding longitudinally of the shells an along the space provided between each roller receiving pocket. This provides a very strong and permanent cage or container assembly.

In Fi ond met od of assembling my novelcage member wherein the projections 6 of the out- 6 and 7 I have illustrated a sec-A Leagues er ring or shell 4 are given such an initiai arcuate shape that when the shell member is formed as shown in Fig. 6, these projections 6 will be of a radius to nicely receive the roller members 7. In this case, the next step will be the forming of the inner shell or ring member 5 in a substantially involute shape as shown in Fifr. 7, whereby the same may be easily assembled by gradually unfolding or' expanding the rin In this case, it will be obvious that both tlie outer projections 6 and the inner projections 3 will have an arcuate shape so as to nicely fit the roller bearings when moved to assembled position. Here. as before, the respective rings or shells may be welded together in several different ways. The first method will probably lend itself to quicker and easier assembly of the roller members but both methods will vide etlicient and quick assembly, and in oth methods there are only three essential steps; namely, stamping the tlat stock, assembling. and securing by welding.

The cage or container thus provided is not only permanent, and not vonly positively locates the roller bearings, but it will be obvious that because of the large surface contact bev tween the projections 3 and 6 and the roller bearings and the plain contact between the ends of the roller bearings and the end walls of the cut away ockets, that very little, if any, wear will ta e place, which is directly in contrast to this same type of bearing wherein pins are usually provided `for receiving the roller bearings or the roller bearings provided with suitable small journals for fitting` in apertures in the container rings.

While the bearing disclosed in Fig. 1 is readily adaptable to roller bearings of larger size by eliminating the spot welding between the roller bearings and just welding around the extreme ends of the shells, I prefer to construct the larger bearings in the manner disclosed in Figs. 8 to 13 `wherein the two re` taining rings or shells are formed in substantially the same manner as shown in Figs. 4 and 5. In other words, an outer ring member is formed by stamping out the ring nieinber from a flat piece of sheet metal. The apertures or pockets for receiving the roller bearings may be formed substantially the same as shown in Figs. 4 and 5, but instead of having a narrow rim such as at 12 in Fig. 3, which extends in the direction of the axis, Iprefer to turn in this rim to forni flanges extending at right angles to the axis of the bearin These flanges may be formed at the same time that the flat stock is stamped or punched out. In other words, I preferably form both'tlie outer shell member and the inner shell member of the bearing shown in Fig. 8 by a single stamping operation from a flat piece of stock.

The outer shell member which may be designated 13, is preferably formed with an las inturned flange 14 and the inner shell vmember 15 is `preferably formed with an out turned liange 16, as best shown in Fi 11. In Fig. 12 I have 'shown an inner shel or rin member completely formed and in Fig. -13

have shown an outer shell member as completely formed. In assembling these two shell members they are preferably assembled wherein the inner shell member is preferably cnrledup and then unrolled and the two anges' welded. The roller bearings mayl then be inserted successively in the openings in the outer shell member, after which the metal around the openings in the outer shell may be stamped or formed to close in around the bearings. In other words, instead of welding the shells together, in the space between the roller members, they are welded together by welding the flanges at the ends of the roller members.

The flanged shell members or retaining members 13 and 15 may be stamped in various ways so as to provide pockets for the roller members. In Fi 8 I have shown one method of turning in t e stamped out portions so as to form the arcuate sides 17 and 18. The two shell members 13 and 15 may be also provided with arcuate projections eX- actly as shown in Fig. 1, or the portions forming the pockets may be stam ed out so as to provide plain sharp angle pockets. Regardless of the bearing surface formed by the pockets it will be obvious that this method ot forming integral bearings is well adapted for bearings of the larger types wherein it is practically impossible to provide a welded joint between the roller members.

It will thus be seen that -I have provided a novel cage or container which is of very simple and inexpensive construction but which provides a very compact strong and permanent structure, the structure in each case being such that each part of the cage may be formed by a single stamping operation from a flat piece of stock thus eliminating all complicated dies and fabricating steps.

lVhat I claim is:

1. A container yfor cyli drical roller bearings, comprising a pair of gnnular sheet metal members integrally secured together, each mem-ber having complementally formed stamped out portions forming pockets for receiving the cylindrical roller bearin s, said pockets completely surrounding the si es and ends of eachrollerl bearing, and said members having cooperating flanges and being secured together solely by welding said flanges.

2. A containerfor cylindrical roller bearings, comprising a pair of annular sheet metal members integrally secured to ther, eachmember having complemental; stamped out portions formin pockets for receiving the cylindrical rollerearin said pockets completely surrounding the si es and ends of each roller bearing, and said memformed bers being secured together by welding between the spaced'pockets.

3..A permanent `container unit for roller bearings, comprising cylindrical spaced annular members, apertures in said annular -members vcooperating to form preformed pockets for the roller bearings, said members being integrally and directly secured together by welding to position the roller members in said pockets.

4. A permanent container for roller bearings, comprising a pair of concentrically positioned retaining shells integrally' secured together by Welding, each shell being provided with spaced, oppositely positioned, and complementally formed stamped out` ortions for forming closed preshaped poc ets for the roller bearings.

5. A permanent container for roller bearings, comprising a pair of concentrically positioned retaining shells, each shell being pnovidedV `,vith spaced, oppositely positioned, and complementally formed stamped out portions for forming closed preshaped pockets for the roller bearings, said members being integi'ally secured together by welding to permanently position the roller bearings within said closed pockets.

6. A permanent container for roller bearings, comprising a pair of concentrically adjacently positioned retaining shells, each shell being provided with spaced, oppositely positioncd. and complementally formed stamped out portions for forming closed pockets for the roller bearings, said stamped out portions being arcuate in cross-section corresponding to the contour of the roller bearings, said members being provided with complementally positioned iianges Welded together to permanently position the roller bearings Wit-hin said pockets.

7. A permanent container for cylindrical roller-bearings, comprising a pair of cylindrical sheet metal stampings adj acently positioned each provided with circuniferentially spaced and complementally shaped, preformed, stamped out portions, 4said stamped out portions being arcuate in cross-section corresponding to the contour of the roller bearings, said members being integrally secured together to position the roller bearings in the pockets formed by the complemental arcuate stamped out portions.

8. An integral containerl unit for roller bearings, comprising two concentrically adjacently positioned .annular members and complementall formed stamped out portions in each mem er for forming preshaped pockets for the roller bearings, said stamped out portions being arcuate in cross section corresponding to the contour of the .roller bearingls.

9. T e method of forming containers for -roller bearings, which comprises stamping out two pieces of fla-t metal stock, forming spaced apertures in each member, forming each strip into an annular shell-and spacing the respective aperturesin each shell to form preformed pockets for receiving the roller bearings, and then inserting the roller bearings and welding the tiro shells together.

10. The method of forming containers for roller bearings, which comprises stamping out a plurality of complementally preformed spaced aperture walls in a pair of flat strips of stock, forming one strip into an annulus Whereby'the complementallxv formed parts in said strip extend inwardly, and forming another strip into an annulus whereby the comple-mentally formed parts of said strip extend outwardly. collapsing one of said strips to assemble sameinside the other annular strip in which the bearings are assembled and Welding said strips together to forni an annular container unit.

11. The method of forming containers for roller bearings, which comprises stamping outa plurality of complementall7 formed spaced apertures in a pair of flat strips of stock, forming one strip into an annulus Whereb)- the complementally formed )arts in said strip extend inwardly, and orming another strip into an annulus whereby the complementally formed parts ofsaid strip extend outwardly, positioning said strips together by first collapsing one annulus inside the other whereby said complementally formed portions register to forni circumferentially spaced pockets for the roller bearings, and welding said strips together to form an annular container unit.

12. The method of forming a container for roller bearin gs which comprises forming two annular sheet metal retaining shells with oppositely projecting b ut complementally formed portions for forming a series of pockets, Welding the two shells together, placing the roller bearings in said pockets and then locking the roller bearings in position by distorting onl)T one seto said complementall)` formed portions.

In testimony whereof I aix my signature.

EDWARD W. MI'TCHEL. 

